Upon the return to my home in New Jersey I had asked my mom an essential question that changed my life forever, I asked, “Mom, which sport is harder: Ice hockey or roller hockey?” She thought about it for a moment and confidently replied, “Ice hockey is more difficult, why do you ask?” I hesitated for a moment, looked down at my feet and then looked back up at my mom with a smile as I replied, “Mom, then that’s what I want to do. I want to play ice hockey.”

$250 Essay
Competition.

How do I
contact the
coach.

A few weeks before my first ice hockey game my mom and dad took me to buy equipment. For me, I felt like a kid in the candy store; it was an amazing feeling. With the right tools, a tool man can do his job sufficiently, so my parents and I figured that with the right equipment, I would succeed as a player. As I sat in the car, I immediately put on my new CCM helmet and put my tiny VIC gloves on and when I got home I put my whole uniform on and walked around my house.

The morning had come; I was too excited to sleep, so I woke myself up at 5:30 AM. I ran into my parent’s bedroom and woke them up. We were in the car shortly thereafter for my 6:45 AM game.  When I walked into the locker room I felt butterflies in my stomach and my dad helped me put on my equipment. As I walked onto the ice for the first time with a helmet on and a stick in my hands, I felt invincible. I skated well with the other boys and week by week, I grew a stronger hockey player. I had even begun to score goals, more and more goals as the weeks went by. There was nothing I enjoyed better than waking up early Sunday mornings to play ice hockey, nothing.